Pricey, yes, but Madrigal pulled out all the stops on this flashy wine, making it their best Cabernet ever. It’s a big, tannic and dry wine, stuffed with blackberry, currant and oak flavors. Voluptuous and dramatic, but it needs age, possibly a lot. Give it a rest until 2015 and see how it’s doing then.——S.H.(4/1/2012)—— 93

Pretty tannic, with an astringent hardness. But the flavors are so rich and powerful, they break through, offering a wealth of ripe blackberries, black cherries, mocha, sweet smoky cedar wood and Asian spices. Nice now with a grilled steak, or stash for up to six years in the cellar. ——S.H.(12/1/2009)—— 89